An automobile accident can be a scary experience. Here are a few tips you should follow after an accident to protect yourself from more stress after wards.
STAY CALM
This, by far, is the most notable piece of information in this article. Immediately following an car accident everyone involved is a little shook up. There may or may not be injuries involved. Vehicles are damaged, and there are fingers pointing blame at who may be at fault.
Assess the state with a level head. If there is anyone with injuries, of if you are hurt yourself, dial 911 and request assistance. Head and spinal injuries are dangerous. You should leave moving an injured person with either of these injuries to professionals trained in removing a person from their vehicle.
CALL 911
This should be done immediately if there are injuries involved. If no one is harm, you unexcited need to file a formal police report, regardless of the extent of hurt involved. This protects you whether you were at fault or not.
The days of exchanging insurance information and shaking hands are long gone. You need an impartial representative to document the facts at the scene of the accident, take witness statements, and assess fault. If you are the at fault party, this protects you from false damages and injuries possibly surfacing later. I have seen a $200 dent turn into a $25,000 claim because the at fault party was trusting the other person involved.
Do not speak with the other party about the accident at this time. If someone is hurt, medical assistance is on the way. Tempers could flare, making a bad region worse. Remember, stay calm, and wait for police assistance.
PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE
Depending on where your accident occurred, you may be at risk to causing another accident or getting hit again. Immediately put on your hazard lights. This notifies other drivers around you to go with caution. If you are in an are where moving the vehicles would be in the best interests of everyone interested, then do so. Assess the situation with a level head. There are alot of factors to consider.
If proving who is at fault can only be sure by the plot of the vehicles, leave them until the police advance. I recommend every driver have an “accident kit” in their vehicle, complete with a camera, notebook and pen, and hazard cones or triangles. If you have a camera, and need to move your vehicle, take pictures of the accident scene before the vehicles are moved. This is your evidence.
If traffic permits, move your vehicle to the far side of the road. Depending on the severity of the accident, this may allow the stride of traffic to resume and prevent another accident from occurring. Keep your hazard lights on until the police have arrived on the scene and taken their report. Cut them off only when you are leaving and everything is over. Your hazard lights reinforces to everyone around you they need to proceed with caution.
WITNESSES
Anyone that stops is a potential witness. Most people that witnessed an accident are going to conclude, ask if you are okay, and continue about their business. At the end of the day, you are left with a memory of faces, but no valid witnesses unless someone stops and waits with you for police to arrive. When someone stops to ask about your welfare, ask if they saw what happened. Get out what they saw. If they did explore the accident, get their name and telephone number (with your handy notebook and pen). An eye study is another impartial person that can help protect you during the claims process.
DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT
Immediately following an accident emotions run high, You may be jumpy, injured, or even angry. Now is the best time to compile as much information as you can while it is fresh on your mind.
If you are equipped with a camera and your injuries do not prevent it, buy pictures of everything. Your vehicle, their vehicle, surroundings, anything that may be important to your claim.
Write down the make and models of vehicles interested, license plates if possible, witness information, vehicle placement, and an accurate description of what exactly happened. One key thing is the description of the driver, especially if there were more than one person in the other vehicle. Many times the person driving before an accident isn't the person reported on the police report. I have even seen drivers leave the scene of an accident before police arrive, only for a different “driver” to return and take the blame. All of this will be important during the claims process.
Document all damages and injuries to yourself, the other driver, and any passengers involved. If there are any skid marks, damaged poles or anything else- write it down and pick pictures if possible.
THE POLICE REPORT
Do not discuss the accident, cause, or assess who is at fault with the other party. Save that for the police report. The police officer will document who he believes is at fault based on several factors. He or she will reflect witnesses at the scene, damages, location of the accident, traffic, and who's story seems the most believable.
If you are injured, or feel any pains attributed to the accident, inform the officer of this. A small afflict now can be a larger pain later. Make sure the injuries to your passengers, if any, are documented as well.
Provide the officer with your insurance information and be definite that the other party's insurance information is documented as well. If you believe that someone should receive a traffic imprint or infraction based on the accident, inquire about it with the officer and find out if any citations or tickets will be issued. Be sure to request a copy of the police report. Some localities may be able to provide a copy to you on the spot. Others have a waiting period, normally a couple of days, and you have to go and inquire of it from the police station or download it on-line.
The responding police officer is usually the first “judge” in the automobile accident claims process. His concept is not only the first one, but is also the one that others will base their opinion on. That is why you need to be prepared with facts and cold-hard evidence. Your pictures and witnesses show what happened before the officer came on the scene and are harder to direct than an opinion of what happened.
CALL YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY
When the smoke clears and you have completed your police report, now is the time you contact your insurance company. Notify them of the accident, and all damages and injuries involved if any. Sustain in mind they are not only looking out for your best interest, but their best interest as well. Your documentation of the chain of events, witness information and pictures will ensure that their best interest is your best interest as well.
Provide the insurance company with a listing of any damages, including any personal property inside of the vehicle that may have been damaged in the accident. Any injuries sustained or pains should be reported to your insurance company immediately.
Depending on how bad the accident was and what coverages you have, your insurance company may be able to gain your vehicle towed and a rental car for your use. Those two coverages are optional on your insurance policy. If you do not have coverage for towing or a rental car, it may be in your best interest to add it. Those small additions only add a couple extra dollars a month to your policy and can save you a lot of headaches.
Filed under Automobile Insurance Information by on Mar 14th, 2011. Comment. 
Teachers often find discounts for their auto insurance premiums. Many insurance companies reward teachers with low premium rate because they have good driving habits. Every year, insurance providers will do research on the risk level of drivers that hold different occupations. The survey consistently shows that educators such as teachers and professors are low risk drivers. Typically, low risk driver seldom win alive to in vehicle collision. They don't have unpleasant driving habits such as driving under influences of drug and alcohol. Survey shows that teachers drive their cars according to the allowed speed limit of the highway. There is rarely a case where teachers speed their cars on the motorway. The good driving habit of teachers may be attributed to their good leadership skills.
The amounts of discount teachers can get vary from different insurance carriers. Most insurance companies offer 10% – 15% discount on premium rates for teachers. You have to prove that you are a teacher before you can take advantage of the premium discount. You can search for insurance plan that is designed specifically for teachers.
Though teachers can acquire advantage of premium discount, the insurance company will determine the actual premium rate based on several factors. Some factors that are used by insurance company to determine the premium rate including age, driving record, credit rating, and etc. If you are a young teacher and aged under 25 years old, you have to pay a higher premium rate. Teachers with dreadful driving represent will not be qualified for premium discount. Many insurers check credit ratings of applicants before approving the insurance coverage. Your credit rating must be good in order to get discount. Teachers with excellent credit ratings can catch the highest discounts.
Not all insurance companies offer discount for teachers. You have to do research on the internet to find out which insurance companies are offering discounts. The insurance search engine is a great online tool you can use to obtain quote comparison between different insurance companies. You can fill in your personal information in the quote request online form to get an estimate auto insurance quote. If you want an accurate quote, you can call the customer service of the insurance provider. Before applying auto insurance, you should always get advice from your insurance agent. The insurance agent will conduct a thorough research and help you to choose an insurance plan that best suits your needs.
Filed under Automobile Insurance Information by on Feb 24th, 2011. Comment.
Many insurance companies consider the sex of the applicant when deciding the premium rate. There are many types of women auto insurance including collision, comprehensive, liability, uninsured/underinsured insurance. Collision auto insurance pays for the damages caused by collision with other vehicles. Comprehensive auto insurance covers car damages that are not caused by collision with vehicles. Uninsured and underinsured auto insurance offers protection against drivers without auto insurance protection.
There are many reasons why you should procure women auto insurance. It protects you from the high medical costs, vehicle repair cost and theft. You will also receive allowance as replacement for your income. As a driver, you have the responsibility to keep your passengers grand. By getting auto insurance, you will be able to have the money to pay for the injury costs of your passengers and property damage. Another reason why you need auto insurance is that it is a requirement of the state department. Every status has a minimum requirement on how much liability insurance you must purchase. It is recommended that you buy more than the minimum requirement so that you will be fully protected from the damage cost.
By looking at the gender of the applicant, the insurance company knows how he or she will handle the car. Women don't get as many hasten tickets as men does. Besides, most accidents are caused by men rather than women. Women encounter lesser accidents. The accidents caused by women are less serious compare to men. Due to this fact, their claims are smaller. Women drivers don't speed on the highway like men do. They like to drive cautiously and at a slower speed. The largest inequity in the premium occurs on men and women under 30 years old. There is a smaller disagreement in the premium cost for men and women over 30 years old. Women wear seatbelts frequently. They always drive shorter distance range instead of long distance range.
Though women automobile insurance is cheaper, there are certain factors that the insurance company take into account when determining the premium cost including driving history and vehicle characteristic If you want to reduce the cost of your car insurance, you should not buy a vehicle that has high horsepower. High performance vehicles will be charged with higher premium charges. Other types of vehicles that are charged with high premium cost include large SUV, and mini car. Besides, car with a long history of being stolen will be charged with high premium cost. If you want to win advantage of cheap car insurance, you should buy station wagon. The premium cost for a van is low as well.
In the United States, women drivers often have to provide information on the ownership of the vehicle and their marital status. When shopping for women automobile insurance, fabricate sure you discuss with your insurance agent so that he can help you to locate the best insurer. You can use the insurance quote search engine to find an insurance that contains all the features you need and suit your budget.
Filed under Automobile Insurance Information by on Feb 20th, 2011. Comment.
